Blackout Ascension: Return of Primordial Heir-Chapter 50: The Day Off

The afternoon sun began its slow descent, brushing the Solaris capital in shades of orange and shimmering gold. The heat of the Golden Bazaar faded, replaced by a cool, refreshing breeze drifting from the eastern docks.

"I am officially full," Ignis declared, patting his stomach, walking with a heavy limp. "If I eat one more spiced apple, I will burst."

"Good," Catherine said smoothly, walking a few meters away from him. "Then maybe you will finally be quiet for ten minutes."

Ignis glared at her, but Terravarous pushed him forward before an argument could start.

****

They reached the edge of the Sunlit River. It was the most famous landmark in the capital. The water here did not look like normal river water, because of light magic buried deep in the riverbed, the water glimmered with a soft, warm golden hue. Small ferries and wooden gondolas drifted gracefully across the surface.

Velanor walked up to a wooden pier and snapped a silver coin to a grumpy boatman.

"We need your best ferry," Velanor said with a charming smile. "Keep the change."

The boatman indicated a wide wooden boat decorated with red paper lanterns. "It is yours for the hour. Row yourselves."

"Rowing is manual labor," Luna sighed, stepping onto the boat carefully so he wouldn’t wrinkle his clothes. "I thought this was a vacation."

"Sit down, lazy," Kairos chuckled, standing at the back of the boat and raising his hand. "I am a wind mage. We don’t need oars."

WHOOSHHH!!

A gentle breeze swirled around Kairos’ fingers and pushed against the wooden sails. The ferry glided pleasantly away from the noisy docks, drifting into the calm, shining center of the river. The sudden silence was amazing. The loud shouts of the merchants and the clanking of blacksmith hammers faded into a soft hum. The only sound was the gentle splash of wavy golden water against the wooden body of the ship.

Ignis leaned over the side rail, staring at his reflection. A few yards away, another ferry was passing by. Three young noble girls wearing fancy silk dresses were sitting on the deck, giggling and gesturing towards the boys.

Ignis immediately straightened his posture, sliding a hand through his red hair, puffing out his chest.

"Watch and learn, Kairos," Ignis whispered loudly. "This is how a true Royal General charms the ladies."

"Please don’t do this," Terravarous groaned, covering his face with his hand.

Ignis ignored his cousin, leaning casually against the wooden rail and offered the passing girls a charming, arrogant smile. He snapped his fingers. He wanted to create a small, romantic spark of fire shaped like a blooming rose.

But Ignis forgot one crucial detail, his ribs were bandaged, his core mana was still unstable from the dungeon, and he had just eaten ten plates of spicy inferno meat.

Instead of a tiny, romantic spark, a burst of orange flame shot out of his hand.

"Whoa!" Ignis shouted in surprise.

He jerked his arm back, but the sudden movement brought the flame right across his own chest, burning his black shirt instantly.

The noble girls on the passing boat stopped giggling and started screaming in panic.

"I am on fire! I am on fire!" Ignis yelled, slapping his own chest wildly. For a fire mage, setting your own clothes on fire was the worst embarrassment. Ignis thought inside.

"You are an idiot!" Catherine shouted, stepping back so the flames wouldn’t touch her pristine white dress.

Kairos grinned, levitating his hand through the air, and sent a gust of wind right at Ignis. The wind hit Ignis like a solid wall.

SPLASHHH!!

It pushed him right over the wooden rail with a loud splash, Ignis fell backward into the shimmering river. The flames sizzled and died the second he hit the water.

Ignis popped back up to the surface a moment later, spitting out a mouthful of pristine water. His red hair was plastered straight against his face. He looked like a wet, angry cat.

"Kairos!" Ignis roared, splashing his fists in the water. "I will roast you alive!"

"You looked a little hot," Kairos laughed, steering the boat slightly away so Ignis had to swim to keep up. "Just helping you cool down."

Terravarous sighed deeply, reaching down to grab Ignis by the collar and haul him back onto the deck. Ignis sat on the wooden floorboards, shivering and dripping wet, while Catherine laughed, clapping with a slow mocking sound.

At the front of the boat, far away from Ignis’ disaster, Luna and Soltheia sat side by side on a small wooden bench. They didn’t pay attention to the loud splashing behind them. They were looking at the water reflecting the orange sunset.

Luna leaned back, resting his arm casually on the wooden rail behind Soltheia. He felt relaxed. The pressure of the cosmic locks and the Black Mist Knights felt like a distant nightmare.

"You were right," Luna said softly, keeping his voice low so the others wouldn’t hear. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Soltheia looked up at him, her ocean blue eyes shining in the evening light. "Right about what?"

"About taking a break," Luna admitted, looking at his hands. "I spent my whole life being lazy because I didn’t care about anything. Then I spent the last week training so hard I almost broke my own mind. I forgot there was a middle ground."

Soltheia smiled warmly, moving a little closer on the bench until her shoulder pressed against his.

"You always don’t have to carry the weight of everything, Luna," she said gently, "you are allowed to exist, and to be happy."

Luna looked at her. The golden light caught the edges of her silver blue hair. She looked so peaceful. He remembered the dark vision the Knight had forced into his head, the terrifying image of her turning to ash. He pushed that dark thought far away.

"I am happy," Luna said, gently taking her hand and intertwining his fingers with hers. "Right here. I am happier than I have ever been."

Soltheia rested her head on his shoulder with a soft, happy sigh. They sat in comfortable silence, letting the boat drift.

At the back of the ferry, leaning against the rear rail, Kairos watched the graceful waves of shimmering water with a hushing sound.

SHUSHHHHH...

Seyana walked over and stood next to him. The evening breeze caught her crimson dress, making it flutter gently.

"Ignis is going to catch a cold," Seyana observed, glancing over her shoulder, sideways at her wet cousin.

"He deserves it," Kairos smiled. "He tried to show off."

Seyana laughed softly. She leaned her arms on the wooden rail, looking out at the beautiful city of Solaris. The great white towers of the palace glinted under the setting sun.

"It is beautiful, isn’t it?" Seyana asked.

"It is," Kairos agreed. He wasn’t looking at the city, he was looking at her.

Seyana caught his gaze. A faint blush rushed onto her cheeks, but she didn’t look away. She turned her body slightly to face him.

"Kairos," she said, her tone mellowing a little more serious. "What do you want to do when this is all over?"

Kairos frowned slightly. "When what is over?"

"The Great War," Seyana said, looking down at the sparkling water. "We are always talking about fighting. We talk about dungeons, monsters, and ancient history. But we never talk about the day after. When the dust settles and the world is finally safe... what do you want?"

Kairos went quiet, gripping the wooden rail. He honestly had no idea. Just a few months ago, he was a nobody. He was a dirt-poor boy living in a tiny farming village. He just wanted to eat three meals a day and maybe learn how to read properly. Now, he was a Royal General. He held a silver sword and a system in his head that told him he was the Conqueror of Time. His life had moved so fast, he forgot to look forward.

"I don’t know," Kairos admitted honestly. "I never really thought I would live long enough to see the end of it."

Seyana reached out and placed her hand over his. Her touch was warm.

"You will live," she said firmly. "I will not let you die, Kairos. So you better start thinking about the future."

Kairos looked down at her hand covering his. A steady warmth spread through his chest. He didn’t need to be a famous hero. He didn’t care about gold, or giant castles, or sitting on a fancy throne.

He looked back up at Seyana’s face.

"I think," Kairos said slowly, his voice fading into a soft whisper, "I just want a quiet house. Maybe somewhere near a forest. I want to wake up in the morning and not have to reach for my sword. I want to drink hot tea, read boring books, and never hear the word ’Calamity’ again."

Seyana smiled, her amber eyes softening with affection. "That sounds perfect. A house near the trees."

"But there is a catch," Kairos added, stepping just a fraction of an inch closer to her.

"Oh? What is the catch?" Seyana blinked.

"I don’t want to live there alone," Kairos said, holding her gaze.

Seyana’s breath became slow, her heart thud a happy rhythm against her ribs. She didn’t need him to say the words right now. The promise was in his dark eyes. It was a promise of a normal life.

"I think," Seyana whispered, her voice trembling just a little, "that can be arranged."

Kairos smiled, gently turning his hand over and intertwining his fingers through hers. They stood together at the back of the boat, watching the sun dip below the horizon.

For this perfect afternoon, there was no fear. The burdens of royalty, the dark threats of the Black Mist Knights, and the ticking clock of the prophecy faded away into the sunset.

The sky slowly shifted from bright orange to a dark purple. The first stars began to appear over the clouds. It was calm before the storm. A beautiful, fragile peace that they were all willing to burn the world down to protect.